Extendible wings



1. c. WARD.

EXTENDIBLE WINGS. APPLICATION FILED MAR 19.1918.

Patented Dec. 9, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

James Of Tfizrd, mg afi J. C. WARD.

- EXTENDIBLE WINGS- 7 APPLICATION FILED MAR. I9. 1918.

1,324,218. Patentd Dec. 9,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

JAMES C. WARD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

EXTENDIBLE WINGS;

Application filed March 13, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES C. WARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Extendible Wings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. a

My present invention relates to apparatus for producing upon the stage the effect of wings on the human form whose peculiarity is that they can be spread or folded at will, and be madevirtually to appear or disappear. By the use of this apparatus a variety of surprising efiects, beautiful or grotesque, may be produced, thereby contributing to the variety and charm of spec tacular stage productions. It is a special advantage of my improved apparatus that it gives the actor who wears it the free use of his hands, except for the few moments which it takes to spread or fold up the wings.

I have illustrated my invention in a pre- .ferred form in the accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view thereof with the wings folded or dropped, Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the apparatus with the wings spread, Fig. 3 is a plan view of a single section of a preferred form of wing and Fig. 4' is a horizontal section of the back plates which form the support and brace for the wing sections.

The harness which fits the actor or actress and furnishes the points of attachment for the wings and auxiliary parts may take a variety of forms, but I prefer to employ an upper belt 10 which is worn just under the arms, and a lower belt 11, worn around the waist. This latter belt is preferably held down so as the better to resist the tension to which it is subjected by means of straps 12, passing under the groin of the wearer. Similarly I prefer to provide shoulder straps 13, attached to the upper belt 10.

The support proper for the wings is carried by the upper belt and preferably comprises the foundation plate 14 within the belt, and the carrying plates 15 riveted or bolted to the plate 14: through the belt and carried on the back or outer surface of the belt. I prefer to provide a padding 16 of felt or similar material inside of the founda Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 9, 1919.

Serial No. 223,275.

tion plate 14: to protect the wearers back. In the preferred form shown, the carrying plates are fastened by butterfly nuts 17, or other easily manipulated devices, so that said plates may be readily removed from their foundation, when desired, carrying the wings with them.

The outer parts of both carrying plates are inclined backward away from the body, and each inclined part carries a pivot or pin 18 upon each of which one wing is pivotally suspended.

The wings may be made in various forms and may be variously constructed without departing from my invention. I prefer however to form these wings, as shown, of separate narrow sections 19, pivoted on the pins 18, over each other. These sections can be given a great variety of fanciful shapes and colors to produce all sorts of eflects.

The wing sections 19 are connected, each to its neighbor, by tapes or strings 20, 21, so that, if the foremost of the series be lifted or swung upward on the common pivot it will draw the next section after it. This second section draws the third, and so on, until the entire wing is spread, as shown in Fig. 2.

This effect is preferably produced by means of cords 22. These pass first through loops 23 on the posts 24 attached to the plates 15, and then through guides 25. At the ends of the cords 22 are rings 26. By pulling down on the cords 22 as they hang down in front of him, the wearer can raise the wings, and by slipping therings 26 over hooks 27 on the lower belt 11, as in Fig. 2, he can secure the wings in this outspread condition, leaving the hands free. When the rings are again removed from the hooks the wings may be allowed to fold up by their own weight in the position shown in Fig. 1.

My invention may be embodied in a great variety of modified forms without departing from the scope of my claims, and I do not limit myself to the details herein shown and described.

' What I claim is 1. In apparatus of the class described, a harness for the body composed of an upper belt and a lower belt, wings pivotally supported on the back of the upper belt, and means including fastening devices on the lower belt for raising and lowering the Apparatus of the character described in claim 1. hereof, wherein the upper belt has shoulder straps and the lower belt is provided with straps adapted to pass under 5 the body of the wearer.

8. In apparatus of the class described, a

belt, a foundation plate, carrying plates having posts provided with guides, Wings pivotally suspended on the carrying plates, and cords attached to the Wings passed through 10 said guides.

In testimony whereof I affiX my signature.

JAMES C. WARD. 

